Before The World Catches Up
by RemusZaneRedvines
Summary: In which McGonagall helps out an eleven-year-old Remus Lupin and ponders the innocence of childhood.


Saturday is the best day of the week. Hands down. Classes are great, of course, but the stress of the first weeks of school and the upcoming full moon have melded together in my mind, giving me the temper of a bear and an ache in every muscle in my body.

I'm the only one in the Great Hall, besides Professor McGonagall. I'm not surprised, it's five forty in the morning and the only reason I'm up this early is that I had a horrible nightmare, in which I had killed quite a few people, a common dream for me. But the reason this particular nightmare was so horrible was that, in the dream, I was happy to have killed them. I killed them and was _happy_ about it. Proud of it. Among those dead were James, Sirius and Peter. My roommates. Needless to say, I left the dark dormitory at the first oppurtunity.

"Mr. Lupin!" Professor McGonagall's accented voice travels easily across the deserted room. She's gotten up from the staff table and is standing in the space between the House tables and hers. "Come here, please." Oh great. She was probably angry that I faked sick in Transfiguration class yesterday. I had to, though. I can't Transfigure a matchstick into a pure silver needle without giving myself a horrific burn. I sigh and resign myself to my fate. At least there are no other people in here. I walk over as if I'm on my way to the guillotine. No, that would be over too quickly. It's like I'm on my way to the gallows.

"Mr. Lupin, I am so sorry," she says without preamble. What? What does she mean, _she's_ sorry? I'm the one that as good as skipped and she's sorry? Oh no. Maybe that's not what she means. "No one's dead, right?" She looks at me for a second, bewildered, then seems to realize what I'm saying. "No! No, I want to apologize for my horrible lack of consideration in yesterday's lesson." Her voice lowers, even though there are no other people in the Great Hall. "I should have remembered that you would not have been able to turn the matchstick silver. I don't know what happens when you do touch silver, but by what I've heard, it can't be good." Wow. That was not what I was expecting. But it was nice to hear her apologize, and before I knew what I was doing, I held out the thumb and index finger of my left hand. The tips of each were missing a few layers of skin and were pink and shiny, as though by a burn.

Professor McGonagall's Point Of View

When Remus showed me his fingers, I could barely hold in a gasp. The skin looked tight and shiny, as though he had burned them. "How did this happen?" I managed to choke out. "Eating," he said shyly. "_Silver_ware..." I couldn't believe that this boy had to be hurt just because of something he had to do to live. "Oh my- every time you eat?" "Unless it's biscuits or something that I can use my fingers for, yes. I taught myself to use my left hand to eat so I can hold my wand without it hurting."

As I listened to this kind, quiet, intelligent boy talk, I was filled with sadness and anger. Why did this happen to him? What did he do to deserve this kind of life? I racked my brain for anything I could do to help him. The one immediate thing I could help him with was the silverware problem.

"Watch closely. _Argentum ad Chalybs!_ His eyes light up with recognition when he hears the incantation and I can tell he knows some Latin. He repeats it, and then I tell him the incantation to the Brightening Charm, which when cast on metal, will make the metal shiny. Then, I use both spells on a spoon sitting near me. The first makes it turn into a harmless steel, instead of the silver that did..._this_ to the young boy in front of me. The second spell turns the new spoon shiny and indistinguishable from the others at all the other place settings around me.

Remus stares at the spoon in disbelief as I hold it out to him. After a moment, he takes it, flinching slightly as though expecting a burn. His eyes widen when nothing happens, and I allow myself a small smile.

"Thank you," he says quietly.

"I'm a teacher, it is my job to make sure my students are healthy. I can't have you burning your fingers every day for seven years, now can I?" My voice takes on its normal no-nonsense tone again, and he smiles and shakes his head.

"Now go on back to the table," I say as the clock strikes six. "We don't want you to miss breakfast. And I think someone is looking for you." He turns, and another smile graces his face as he spots the bright red hair of Lily Evans in front of the crowd that is sluggishly making their way into the Great Hall.

"Thank you again," he says sincerely. I nod and he walks towards Lily with a bounce in his step. I allow myself one more smile as I watch the two talk animatedly to each other over a breakfast that Remus can now eat without pain. _She's good for him,_ I think to myself as I look back down to my eggs and bacon. Lily Evans is compassionate and kind, and I hope that if and when she finds out Remus's condition, she won't treat him any differently. But the world was cruel, and unexpected things could happen. For now, I only wished for the two to savor their innocence, before the world caught up with them.

**First fanfic! What did you think?**


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